Nikola Tesla Collegiate Institute

THANK YOU TO ALL who have signed the petition. This petition has been submitted to the Toronto District School Board. We are now awaiting their decision on the name. We will close this petition once we receive the decision.

For anyone who would like to support a petition for a Nikola Tesla school name, please click the following link.

This is original petition and has in total over 7,000 signatures, our goal is 10,000 or more, the greater the better.

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The opportunity to submit suggestions for a school name in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) are rare. We need your help to name a school after Nikola Tesla, so that we can inspire the students.

The school, Kipling Collegiate Institute (KCI) is currently in operation and it is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) school. This is a perfect fit for Nikola Tesla.

KCI was part of an accommodation review. The decision is to close a nearby school and shift 50% of the students to KCI. TDSB has decided to change the name of KCI as a result of the developments. Please note that this will not be an easy sell, there is a petition promoted by Alumni of the school with over 1,200 urging the TDSB keep the name.

The TDSB has a defined process. Name submissions are done via internet. The form outlines various categories for names. In this case the last one applies, as noted below.

a. Received hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1906 from Toronto Electric Light Company, private company.

b. 1903 played a key role in the Berlin (now Kitchener) Convention that called on the provincial government to form a Public Power Commission of Ontario.

c. 1906, Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario (HEPCO) was formed and hydro arrived in Toronto via HEPCO public system in 1911.

d. Sir Adam Beck was recognized by King George V, with a knighthood and in modern days by a school name in TDSB, and with a statue on University Ave for his work in promotion and distribution of hydro in Ontario. In addition, in Niagara Falls the Hydro Generating station are named after him.

e. Scientist are underrepresented in school names

f. Residents of the world enjoy the luxuries of life, what we take for granted for over century, thanks to Tesla’s inventions.

g. If in doubt, look at the impact of the power outage of the North America Eastern Seaboard in 2001.

3. Benefit for students

a. Students will learn of/and be inspired by Nikola Tesla. Tesla technology is as valid today, as it was over a century ago. His inventions are the foundation for many new and current day inventions.

b. Grade 8 history – Canada a Changing Society 1890-1914. Tesla and his invention were the driving force for the change.

c. Students will learn some of the greatest modern technology companies view Nikola Tesla as inspiration (Larry Page of Google, Steve Jobs of Apple, Tesla Inc., and Disney Research.)

There are thousands of reasons to support the school name. Please re-frame from stressing his ancestral origin. Nikola Tesla is strong enough, and his heritage will not be a factor that the committee will find beneficial. Safe it to say that Tesla, like many of Toronto residence was an immigrant to North America. He arrived in North America, like many of Toronto immigrants, with only a suit case and dreams. Tesla delivered his dreams for the benefit of the society in general all over the world. Now it is your turn to support Nikola Tesla. Please suggest the name, sign this petition and share it. We have only one month to get this done. ACT NOW, there is no time for delay.

One think of note was that the Waterloo Region District School Board Trustees took note of the petition support from within the region. So it is imperative that Toronto residents support this petition.